


The Kids Are Waiting

by ItspronouncedJulia



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/F, Light Angst, barely even there angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2019-06-26 18:37:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15668946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItspronouncedJulia/pseuds/ItspronouncedJulia
Summary: Sacrifices had to be made in order to run her country and sometimes her children suffered for it.





	The Kids Are Waiting

“If you're going to kill me, please be quick about it.” Azula said softly keeping her eyes glued on Mai’s impassive face.  The Fire Lady had a kunai pressed against Azula’s robe right over her racing heart. Mai picked her eyebrows up and continued to twirl the blade back and forth slowly cutting through Azula’s favorite robe.

“No.” Mai said slowly pinning Azula down with a deadly look. “When I eventually murder you and take the mantel of Fire Lord I promise your death will be slow and painful.” Azula’s mouth went dry and she began to shift back and forth nervously. Mai was angry enough for that to not be a joke.

“I’m sorry-”

“I don’t want to hear your apologizes,” Mai said quickly shutting Azula’s flimsy attempt down. “Although I’m sure Shaolin could benefit from you groveling for her forgiveness.” Azula frowned and thought about telling Mai that she had been on her way to do just that. Unfortunately, even though it was the truth, she knew that Mai wouldn’t believe her.

“I know,” Azula said. “I’ll crawl on my hands and knees if it makes her feel even a little better.” She added but Mai only rolled her eyes and slipped her fancy dagger back into her sleeve.

“It won’t.” Mai said. “You know how important this knife throwing competition was to her and you promised to come.”

“I don’t need-”

“She cried for an hour straight,” Mai continued as if Azula hadn’t said a word at all. “She won by the way.”

“I know she won,” Azula said slightly surprised that Mai had let her finish. “You know I would have been there if I could but I got tied up longer with my advisers then I thought.” Mai just shrugged and stepped away from her wife.

“You don’t have to explain that to me.” Mai said knowing full well what had kept Azula from coming to Shaolin’s big day.

“I’m running a nation,” Azula pointed out trying to get Mai to ease up was pointless but still Azula felt the need to defend herself. “I can’t just drop everything.”

“You promised.” Was all Mai said before disappearing around the corner. Azula took a deep breath and attempted to clear her head. The walk back to the apartment seemed longer than usual and the closer she got the more knots formed in Azula’s stomach.

When she finally walked into the home she shared with her family the first thing she noticed was that it was quiet. Too quiet. At first she thought that perhaps the girls had left to go play outside or snoop around the palace but there was a certain kind of tension that lingered in the air that seemed to say otherwise.

“Shao?” Azula said gently as she knocked on her bedroom door. “Can I come in? I would like to speak with you.” When no answer came Azula briefly thought about turning around and walking away to give Shaolin some space. However the thought of Mai’s sharp knives cutting into Azula kept her rooted in her place.

“I’m going to use my executive power as Fire Lord to come in then,” Azula said sternly as she slowly turned the door knob and peaked her head in. She saw Shao curled up underneath her blanket with her back turned to the door.

“I’m sleeping.” Shaolin sniffed causing Azula to frown.

“If you're asleep then how are you speaking to me?” Azula asked as she took a seat on the edge of the bed.

“I don't know.” Shaolin whimpered moving further away from Azula. “But I’m sleeping and I don't want to speak to you.” Azula sighed and felt like she heard a lot of Mai in her daughter’s voice. Shao was becoming more and more like Mai everyday and most of the time it excited Azula to see. Right now however it terrified her. Mai was famous for holding a grudge, she was still upset at Azula for things she had said and done as a child.

“Fair enough you don't have to speak to me.” Azula said softly. “But may I speak to you?” Shaolin just shrugged and Azula took that as an okay to continue.

“I just wanted to apologize for not being able to make it to your competition.” Azula began. “I really did want to go and see you win today but-”

“You got busy doing better things?” Shaolin demanded her voice coming out muffled as she spoke.

“No not better things.” Azula said carefully. “But as the Fire Lord you know I have greater responsibilities that most of the time keep me from doing things that I _want_ to do.”

“Then why did you promise to come?” Shaolin asked.

“I thought I would be able to.” Azula said honestly. “But my meeting went on longer that I anticipated. I’m sorry.” Shao didn’t say anything else. Instead she buried her head under her pillows and continued to sniffle.

“Alright then, I’ll leave you.” Azula said softly pushing herself up to her feet. She was halfway out of the door when Shao finally spoke again.

“Why did my mom have to be the Fire Lord?” She asked sounding absolutely miserable. “Why couldn’t you have just been a peasant or...a tax collector or something?” Azula came to a stop and turned to look at the little bundle of sniffling blankets.

“Well, you know your mother probably wouldn’t have married me if I was a peasant, maybe if I was tax collector but that’s highly unlikely.” Azula said seriously causing Shaolin to stop crying and start giggling.

“Don't make me laugh.” Shaolin said while she laughed. “I’m mad at you, I don't want to like you right now.”

“I’m not even trying to be funny!” Azula exclaimed. "It's just the harsh truth, your mother comes from nobility, she couldn't have just married anyone if I wasn't nobility we wouldn't have married and had you and your sisters."

“You're silly.” Shao said finally poking her head out of her blankets and pillows. Azula was only able to see the top of her head, her little golden eyes were red from crying and it made Azula feel worse then she already did.

“Fire Lord Weenie.” Shaolin said with sad little smile. Azula laughed and took that as an invitation to come back over and sit with Shaolin.

“Your sister told you about that?” She asked as she once again took a seat on the edge of her daughter's bed. Shaolin shook her head her eyes crinkling as she began to smile underneath her blankets.

“Mommy did.”

“Of course.” Azula said softly.

“When you didn’t come to the competition she called you Fire Lord Weenie.” Shao said as she pulled herself from under the blankets. Azula watched as Shaolin scooted down so she was sitting besides Azula. “At least you apologized for it.” Shaolin muttered after she settled down.

“Of course I apologized.” Azula said as she wrapped her arms around Shao. “I never want to see you upset and I never want to cause you to be upset, I really would have loved to see you win today.” She never liked to see any of her children crying and to know she was the cause of it stirred up a horrible feeling in her but Azula was the Fire Lord. Sacrifices had to be made in order to run her country and sometimes her children suffered for it.

“You know my friend from the Earth Kingdom? Hou-Ting she’s a princess to.” Azula nodded she was very familiar with the princess and her father King Kuei. She didn’t necessarily have the best relationship with the king but their children got along well. “In her letters she tells me that her daddy doesn’t even apologize to her, he just tells her that she has to expect it because he’s the king.”

“My father was the same way.” Azula said softly. “In fact he was worse, he would get very angry if your uncle or I even _implied_ that we felt like he wasn’t spending anytime with us.” Shaolin frowned and reached forward digging her finger in the hole Mai had created in Azula’s favorite robe.

“I don't understand.” Shao said softly. “Just because you guys are the Fire Lord and the Earth King doesn’t mean you aren’t our parents, we still want you around you know.”

“I know.” Azula said before giving Shao a soft kiss on the temple. “But-”

“Sacrifices have to be made because the country blah blah blah Fire Lord Weenie blah blah dorky speech blah.” Azula raised her eyebrows at her daughter's sudden boldness. She had to hold back her laughter not wanting to encourage that kind of behavior.

“Well I certainly couldn’t have said it better myself.” Azula said softly. “Perhaps you’ll understand one day.”

“I understand now.” Shaolin corrected her mother. “I just don't like it is all.” Azula was about to say something when a gentle knock came at the door.

“Come in.” Shao called. A second later Mai came in. “Look who’s here.”

“I see Fire Lord Weenie of the Wiener Dynasty, First of her name.” Mai said so seriously that Shaolin couldn’t help but break into a fit of giggles.

“Mom you're funny.” Shao said pushing herself off the bed and running into straight Mai’s arms.

“Oh she’s a riot.” Azula mutter. “Truly she should consider comedy when she's not performing her duties as the Fire Lady.” Both Mai and Shaolin ignored Azula as they embrace.

“I came in here to see if your mother was willing to play a game with you and I.” Mai said pinning Azula with a look that made it clear that she wasn’t giving Azula much of a choice. “It’s actually a game she knows well.” Taking a step back she pulled a kunai and an apple out of her sleeves.

Azula felt the blood drain from her face while Mai smiled brightly. Shaolin frowned and took the apple out of Mai’s hand.

“What kind of game is this?” She asked turning the fruit around in her hand.

“Target practice.” Mai said happily. “Go on your sisters are already waiting for you in the training yard.” Shaolin nodded and hurried out of the apartment.

“Are you coming?”

“Depends are you the one throwing?”

“Does that make you feel any safer?” Mai asked slipping her kunai back up her sleeve. “Besides I’m sure Shaolin is eager to show you her skill.” Azula nodded.

“I have faith she’ll hit the target perfectly, she was the winner of the competition today.” Azula said confidently.

“She was the winner of the junior competition.” Mai corrected. “Out of all the kids Shaolin was the closest to hitting the target, she almost hit the bullseye.” Azula clenched her jaw tightly in an attempt to keep her face straight.

“Her shot was a little _low_.” Mai punctuated her sentence by poking Azula right in the middle of her forehead.

“You're lying.” Azula said softly. Mai just shrugged and spun around quickly heading towards the front door. “Mai, you're not being truthful.” Azula said again as she hurried after her wife. She almost collided into her when Mai swiftly turned around. Slowly reaching up Mai gripped Azula’s jaw with her right hand and pulled her down into a gentle kiss.

“I just want to remember your face like this.” She whispered once she pulled away. Azula let out a slow breath.

“You know if I die Izumi is the rightful heir to the throne.”

“Yes but at the tender age of thirteen I do believe she’ll need a regent to rule for her.” Mai pointed out as she tapped Azula’s nose. “Now come on, the kids are waiting.”


End file.
